The Journal
by Bloodyredshade
Summary: The highs and lows of the Lone Wanderer and all the tragedies and triumphs condensed into one Journal. This is my take on Fallout 3 and this takes place in an Alternative Universe.
1. Chapter 1

The Journal

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Author's Note: Hello everyone. Welcome to my new story and hopefully this will spawn a series featuring around my new character. It's been a challenge but after months of consideration and finally narrowing down who I wanted my character to be and his trials and basically everything else I managed to complete this story in one fell swoop. I hope you enjoy it. Feel free to review. I look forward to it.

Warning: There are subjects in this story that may be disturbing. I wrote this story so that if any reader needs to skip a section they can without missing significant information.  
>"Talking"<p>

* * *

><p>Location: Megaton, Capital Wasteland<p>

Date: September 28, 2357

Event: Funeral

"It's hard to watch something that used to be so beautiful destroy itself. To see a masterpiece fall apart. Disaster back then had always seemed distant and detached in a future that would never happen. It wasn't until the Black Floods, when the fallout and god knows what else, fell onto the ground after the two hour Great War that our ancestors finally understood what they had unleashed. We fell hard. We buried ourselves in anger, fear and the instinct to survive. The truth was no one watched as we tore at each other. No one saw or wanted to see the combined evil of our souls. Tragedy is invisible. People turn away from it. They run if they can and it's hard to know that your purpose lies amongst all this pain. But, someone has to be there. To pick it up. To push back. To put the first piece back together. Put us all back together." The speaker at the podium stood silent for a few moments before continuing.

"My father said this to me when I first met him. Today we honor a man who was known for many things and some would argue that he was a villain and others would proclaim him a hero. He made choices no one else wanted to make, no, choices that no one could make. He lived with the consequences and he wasn't afraid to get the job done. And I'm proud of who he really was. Before he died he left me with his audio journal. His highs and lows. His love and his hate. All his doubts and beliefs. All his pain and suffering. Everything that he experienced in the Wasteland from the slavers in the Pitt to the reaches of space. His wish was for everyone to listen to it. To know and to remember who we used to be and who we still are. I have uploaded his writings and audio files to each of your pip-boys and to the net. Free and no charge and with no filters or redactions. These are the complete and total truths of Art Tacks life. If the journey to understanding someone is started by taking a walk in someone else's shoes let this be the path that helps you to understand the man and not the legend." With that the man walked off the podium as each individual opened their pipboys to see an alert which stated that a document had been loaded. Many hesitated but almost at once they clicked the open prompt and began to read or listen to the audio track.

This is an attempt to record my journey through life. This is also my attempt at coming to terms with myself. I will start by saying I will record events how I saw them with no filter and with as little bias as possible.

From the age of 3 till the age of 19, life in the Vault was all I had ever known. Many would postulate that just simply living in a Vault would be heaven and in many ways it was. However, it was in the Vault 101 at the age of 9 that I was first introduced to the dark side of man. In many ways it started with 3 screws and a man named Howard. I wouldn't know this until years later of course. By the way this incident was completely covered up by my father, the Overseer, and the rescue team which is why you'll never hear of it outside of my journal.

You-you have to understand that by the time the rescue team had opened up the tunnel the remaining survivors just wanted to forget the horrors we had faced, the animals that we had become. Some of us couldn't and they suffered...accidents. But those of us who did were sworn to never speak of it again. Aware of the accidents happening to our fellow rebellious survivors and bound by our own individual guilt it wasn't hard.

Where was I...ah yes. A man named Howard and three screws were the reason why I and 423 other survivors know what people taste like.

*****Story begins*****

I covered my eyes and groaned as the lights in my room turned on due to a timer. The same message rang out through the old P.A box.

"Rise and shine vault inhabitants." The message repeated two more times before I got up and pressed the intercom button.

"I'm awake." Immediately to my relief the message stopped. I tugged on a fresh pair of boxers and jumpsuit just in time for my dad to walk in with two bowls of slop that contained everything a human needs to survive.

"Good morning son. Did you sleep well?" The ever present grin on his faced never fell as I groaned in response.

I grabbed the warm bowl and began to mechanically feed myself.

"I had a nightmare last night." And watched as my father's eyebrow raised.

"Really? What did you dream about?"

"I don't remember. It was dark though." I tried to recall anything else but the memory had already slipped away from me.

"That's interesting. You've never been afraid of the dark before." Father said as he tapped his empty bowl thoughtfully.

"It's alright. Anyway I got to get to school. See ya dad." I picked up my bag and ran out the door.

"Kids."

I ran all the way to our meeting place before school. It wasn't anywhere special. Just next to a janitor's closet. I smiled as I saw Amata reach the meeting point just as I did.

"Yo!" I shouted as I raised my hand up.

"What's up?" Amata said as she gave me a sluggish high five.

"Up late studying for math?" I asked although I didn't really need too.

"You know it. My dad is always like, Amata you have no idea how important this is to become the Overseer. Psh. Like I want to be an Overseer. I'd much rather cook. Maybe make the food taste like actual food for once." She and I chuckled and began walking.

"You know I hear they put-wait what was that?

"Come on Art. You can't keep getting me like that." Amata said as she continued walking.

"No really! Amata!" I grabbed her by the arm and threw her back just as the metal panel hit me in the head and sent me flying.

I don't know when I woke up but I remember a bright green light in my face and the cartoonish face of vault-tec's mascot seemed to laugh at me.

"Hey Art are you okay?" I could see the face of one of the security guards and was relieved to see someone I recognize.

"Security guard Gomez sr." I groaned out and touched the side of my head only to feel a square patch of gauze.

"Well I'm glad you can at least remember me. Do you remember anything else?" He asked urgently.

"I remember...Amata, a metal panel and brown stuff falling."

"That's called dirt kid." He laughed before he coughed into his hand which caused me to worry.

"Are you okay Officer Gomez?" He coughed a few more times before taking a deep breath.

"I'm good. Don't worry about me. I'm afraid I have some bad news Art. We've been trapped in this section of the vault."

"Is it just me and you?" I asked too young to keep the fear out of my voice.

"No, no. A little over four hundred people got stuck during the landslide. We have some emergency rations and water." Officer Gomez finished.

"When are they coming to get us?" I asked and Gomez grew silent for one moment then another before he looked into my eyes.

"Can you walk?" He asked.

"Yeah."

"Let's go to the others." And we both hobbled down into the dark hallways with only his pipboy light to light the way.

*******story break******

At first it wasn't too bad. We cooperated and tried our best to keep each other's spirits up. The remaining security force was keeping order and even though food and water were in short supply we all had high hopes. Air was being passively cycled in through the vents so we never had to worry about suffocating. We had hopes that we would be rescued in a few days hell maybe by the end of the week. We had no idea a giant boulder made of granite had shifted and blocked off the digging efforts. We had no idea all other digging efforts were stopped due to questionable structural integrity. We had no idea we would be stuck in our own little world for almost 9 months.

I'm sure when historians and the majority of the populous read this they'll ask why? Why didn't we assist in our own rescue? The answer is simple and two fold. One, we were all scared. We were shocked into standing still by the fact that this had actually happened and that we were alone. For all we knew the entire Vault had collapsed in on itself and we were the only survivors. The air ducts were clear but that meant nothing. The entire Vault had redundancy upon redundancy emergency vents littered everywhere throughout the Vault that led straight up to the surface. The second part was that we had no tools nor did we have any skilled workers capable of telling us what was safe and what wasn't. We couldn't shore up the walls to hold thousands of tons of Earth with what we had. Any digging could possibly kill us all. This was the Nexus. Basically a shopping mall inside the Vault. A place of leisure and non-vital jobs. There were a few housing units that survived the collapse. But nothing remarkable.

After the second week there was grumbling as food rations became smaller and smaller but how long could we expect to feed 400 + people?

After the third week the food was all gone. There were no more stories or laughing. One by one the pipboy lights of the adults stopped working. The only thing left was the screen itself so the area was bathed in a greenish hue. Then there were the water shortages. Fortunately we would have some water trickle down the walls from the soil and rock. But it was always never enough. And then whispers started. Quietly at first. I was still too young to understand but I heard the intention in their voices. It scared me. Sometimes, to this day, I wake up only to hear those damn whispers in my ear. Eventually those whispers became shouts and the population was in an uproar. There was meat. Living juicy meat. The old and weak just had to die first. The security put down these talks as fast as they could but it was no use. Twenty security guards vs 400 desperate and hungry people. I watched in green light as the security force fought a brutal and bloody battle. The civies used basically anything they could get a hand on, pipes, bed legs, their bare hands and even a few shivs. The security had their 10 mm pistols and police Batons. They fought bravely. That's all I have to say about that. Afterward the winning side cut apart and ate the losing side's bodies. They feasted and they fucked and they laughed and laughed. Blood, gore, semen, and other bodily fluids pervaded the air and the area. I quietly faded into the background. I would maintain my humanity. I would stay alive. I would wait. I would survive.

*****return to story*****

I heard it before my other senses picked it up. I didn't have a light so I relied on my hearing more than anybody else. I readied a pipe I had pried from the bathroom wall. I raised the pipe and smashed it down with a practice motion onto the head of a rad roach. I heard the sick squish and flipped the insect on its back. I ignored the sick goopy meat and ate. This was my life. A full 7 months had passed.

I had adapted to my living situation as well as could be expected. Still, I hated my life and felt disgusted with myself and not for the first time did I spit out the meat in my mouth only to pick it up again and put it in my mouth. Meat was life. Life meant being able to run. Running meant that I would be able to evade. Evading means I won't be raped or eaten alive. I don't know how many of us are left alive. But I've run into the hunting parties a few times. There are a few like me. A few who have survived on the outskirts of the nexus. A few against so fucking many animals. I sighed and wiped my hands on my dirty clothes. I continued walking only to stop when I heard something scratching inside a nearby room.

Cautiously I opened the door and saw a woman covered by a blanket. A smell filled the room and I almost felt my mouth flood with saliva. I saw a flame burning pitifully beneath the pot and suddenly the women leapt to her feet wearing nothing and I saw her sharp blue eyes burrow into mine. This was Jane pletbe. She was considered the hottest woman in the vault and here she was naked in front of me. I was too young to appreciate what I was seeing and that was my saving grace as she screeched and flung herself at me scissors in hand. I swung my pipe into her hand and with practiced ease bashed the end of the pipe into her head stunning her and effectively knocking her into the ground. She held her head dazed and the only thing that stopped me from crushing her skull was a soft whimper. I finally noticed a small figure covered in a dirty and brownish blanket. I held my hand over my mouth as I saw what had happened to the baby.

What had Jane pletbe done? A scrap of paper was next to the baby girl's torso and I picked it up and read about Jane's descent into madness. Of how she thought since she was the momma bear that she had the right to eat her young to survive. I barely noticed when I had first picked up the scissors and I didn't even realize that I had stabbed Jane and kept stabbing. In all I numbly recalled I stabbed her a hundred and thirty two times. She squealed and begged. But eventually the small scissors did their job. Jane died in a pool of her own blood and shit. Baby Beth, that's what her name was, whimpered again and I winced as I saw the work her mother had done to her. Her arms and legs had been chopped off and made into a stew. She survived only because Jane had been a seamstress and a damn good one. I looked into Beth's eyes trying to find a sign of acknowledgement but I could see that she was already lost. Her tough little body continued to work but her mind and soul were both so worn out. So destroyed. I felt my heart break for this innocent soul and I couldn't stop the tears from flooding down my face as I raised my pipe.

"You're a good girl Beth. Time to sleep." I slammed my pipe down mercifully crushing her skull.

But I couldn't stop. I raised my pipe again and swung it down. I don't know how long I did that routine. Up and down, up and down, but every time I swung I felt a little harder. A little colder and a little more dead. By the time I had finished I dropped the useless and bent out of shape pipe onto the floor. I walked over the mutilated body of Jane and outside the apartment before closing the door. I then fell on the floor and cried harder than I had ever done before in my life. Then I stood up and walked into the darkness.

******story break******

I don't know how long my mind was lost to me and believe me I had lost it. I don't remember how I survived or what I did but it eventually led to me finally joining the masses. I was the last holdout. The last pure soul in the nexus. When I look back I never understood how I stayed alive for so long. Always alone, no more than a few hours of sleep, always wary and tired. I was so hungry and don't tell me about thirst. By the middle of the eighth month I was barely alive. It's why I was finally run down.

******Return to story*****

I've been running for so long I could barely stay on my feet. I willed my feet to move faster to help me escape one last time but it was too much. I lost the feeling in my legs just as I rounded a bend and fell hard and tumbled along the unforgiving metal floor. I willed my legs to keep moving but even still I knew I wouldn't get up. Not this time. I was burnt out. I was dead. As I thought this I heard three different footsteps run up to me. Green light flooded into the hallway and I heard hard breathing.

"There you are. You gave us quite the chase there you little shit."

"Come on Miller. Let's stop playing with the kid and get to business." The second voice finished with a harsh laugh.

"I got dibs. Remember that." I felt a pair of hands pick me up and turn me over.

"I got his right."

"I got his left."

The man above me was covered in dried blood which flaked and cracked. Rivers of sweat flooded down his face and I felt a few drops land on my face.

They told me what they were going to do to me. It was the fate most of the young were dealt. I was to be raped and depending on how tight my ass was I would be a sex slave or lunch. The leader ripped my clothes off and licked my neck roughly.

I hated it. I hated being weak and useless. I hated the despair and knowing that all these months of living was leading up to this. Suddenly out of nowhere I felt calm.

"At the very least kiss me first." I whispered.

"Hear that boys? He likes me. Well you asked for it you little bitch." I felt his hot mouth press into mine and I let his tongue in offering no resistance.

Without warning I clamped my teeth down hard and ripped a large chunk of his tongue out of his mouth. I felt blood rush into my mouth and I swallowed the piece of flesh feeling stronger than I ever had before. He pulled away and tried to scream only to cover his pipboys light with his blood muting the brightness and taking away another advantage for them. I used his partners surprise to move my right hand and grab my assailant's nuts. I squeezed hard and was rewarded when I felt something give making my victim scream high and girlish before falling off me. I turned to receive two heavy blows to my face almost making my last attempt futile but I somehow clung on and threw my right hand into my opponent's eye. I curled my fingers and pulled ripping one of his eyes out of its socket. He screamed and leapt off me and I was finally free. The trio filled the hallways with moans and screams. Meanwhile I took the time to remember there was something heavy nearby. I felt along the wall and smiled as I felt a fire extinguisher. I unhooked the safety strap and hoisted the heavy object in my hands. I walked over and oriented myself before slamming the extinguisher into the sternum of the bastard that held down my right arm. He gasped harshly as his ribs caved in and my second attempt smashed his face in with a satisfying crunch.

"You can't do this! You can't! I'm a hunter!" The one with one eye screamed waving his arms out wildly trying to hit me or fend off a blow.

I threw the extinguisher into his jaw breaking it. He only mumbled and weakly tried to push me off as I straddled him and placed two hands on both sides of his head. I then proceeded to smash his head against the wall.

"Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Fucking die!" I slammed his head once more and threw his limp body into the ground.

I stood up panting heavily as I heard the labored breathing of Miller. The leader and newly made mute. I felt blood drip down my chin and I let my tongue brush against the blood on my lips. God it was good. To taste real meat. I grabbed his unconscious body and dragged it into a nearby room. I need to preserve the meat. I had to keep my food supply alive. I need something sharp, a needle and thread. If I was going to be a monster I was going to be the best damn monster anyone had ever seen. I was the hunter now and they should have left well enough alone.

******story break******

Of course it couldn't last. Eventually the rescue came and everyone was exonerated for their actions and almost all were assimilated into Vault life again. The few, about 20 or so, were, let's face it, put down with extreme prejudice. Either they fought the guards or they were caught trying to create more victims for the hunger. The hunger is what we called it. It was the epitome of human need to devour and destroy itself.

Of course I told the story to my father but left out my time as a hunter of men giving an explanation of living in the outskirts of the vault system and eating rad roaches. Either way as I said. The whole mess was covered up and everyone agreed to never talk about it. Let the blood, bodies, and filth stay in that part of the vault. Let it rot. And that's what they did. They cemented the whole section shut. Still I could never shake my experiences and what I learned in that dark and empty place. I learned what the people around me were capable of and most importantly I learned what I was capable of and that was scarier.

Still, life continued on and Amata even threw me a belated birthday party. I still remember clasping my pipboy on my arm and thinking to myself about my time in the dark. My insanity must have been showing because I saw Amata take a step back. I looked down shyly and said sorry and she hugged me before kissing my cheek much to her father's dismay. He took her away quickly after that. After mingling and kicking the hell out of butch I was led to the reactor and giving my first firearm. A 4.5 mm air rifle. I got good with it. And before I knew it I was 17.

Now this is where things took a weird turn and since you now know about the things I went through before the age of ten you might be able to grasp how extreme this must have been to be considered weird. It all started when I tried to get out of taking the G.O.A.T.

*****Story Begin*****

"As far as I know you're a perfectly healthy 17 year old boy." My father stated as he pulled his stethoscope away from my chest.

"Do I really need to take the G. dad?" I asked tiredly.

"Of course you do. It's what we've all had to do since the beginning of the vault. Come on. It won't be so bad. You are a smart and fit young lad. I'm sure you'll be placed in something that will suit you well. Now get going." My father patted my shoulder before leading me out of his office.

"Alright, alright. I'll see you later dad." I waved and left waving a polite hand at Stanley and Jonas on the way out.

"Come on Amata. I'll show you a real Tunnel Snake."

"Leave me alone Butch and take your stupid crew with you!"

I turned the corner and saw Butch leaning against the wall trying to sweet talk Amata. Needless to say I took exception to that. Butch noticed me as I walked down the hall toward them. I wasn't the biggest guy around but I always did excel in physical activities so despite the fact that the only three members of the Tunnel Snakes surrounded me I wasn't afraid.

"What the fuck are you looking at Tack?" Butch said with obvious aggression.

"A couple of asshats too stupid to realize they're gay for each other." I grinned as I felt the others tense up.

Fighting had come naturally to me. My time in the Nexus, and my own ability saw me through more life and death situations than I would care to remember. I didn't resist when Wally, and Paul grab my arms.

"You asked for it dumbass!" Butch screamed as he threw a punch only to be shocked when I leaned forward causing his fist to hit my forehead.

I was rewarded with a sharp snap as his middle finger dislocated and he gave out a sharp cry as he grabbed his injured hand. Paul and Wally hesitated for a second and it was all I needed. I raised my right leg and stomped down hard onto Paul's foot causing him to release me and I sent a now free right hand into Mack's throat causing him to let go of my left arm and grasp reflexively at his throat. I then sent a sharp straight kick into Butch's chest flinging him into the wall he leaned on only seconds ago. The whole fight took less than five seconds but I guess the sounds had attracted our teacher. Mr. Brotch rushed out of the classroom with a worried expression only to change into one of silent approval and then into one of disapproval.

"Mr. Tack would you mind explaining what has happened here!" He ordered as he approached.

"That won't be necessary." A feminine voice called from an adjoining hallway and Amata, Mr. Brotch, and I watched as Mrs. Pepper Gomez turned the corner.

"Mrs. Gomez did you see what happened here?" Mr. Brotch asked.

"I sure did. These Tunnel Snakes were accosting Ms. Almodovar and Mr. Tack protected her in a rather marvelous fashion." She stated.

"Amata is that what really happened?" Mr. Brotch asked.

"Yes sir. Art helped me out." Amata stated dutifully.

"Fine. Amata and Art get to the classroom. I'll take these three to the Infirmary." Mr. Brotch stated as he herded the injured trio to the infirmary a few halls over.

"Come on Amata lets go." I started to walk only to have a firm hand grab my arm.

"Excuse me Art, I would like to have a word with you." Mrs. Gomez stated.

Amata paused but I waved her the okay and she walked into the classroom with only one look back with worry on her face. Mrs. Gomez linked her arm with mine before pulling me toward the hall she had entered from.

"So what is it that you needed to talk to me about Mrs. Gomez?" I asked as she stopped absent mindedly by a nearby water fountain.

"Do you know what my job is in the Vault is Art?" She asked.

"No." I answered automatically but paused as I truly didn't know what she did.

"I am the lead psychologist in charge of making sure the mental capabilities of the vault inhabitants remain as normal as can be. Part of this job is that I keep track of the genealogy. I observe birthing patterns and basic sexual nature of the inhabitants of the Vault. I make sure people who are not related marry the right people if you know what I mean?" She asked and I nodded politely.

"Almost seven years ago a horrible tragedy occurred-"

"The Nexus incident." I couldn't help but bunch my hands into fist.

"Yes. The Nexus incident. You out of the forty children trapped survived that hellish experience. Many question how or why but everyone just stays silent under punishment of death. My job position is above that. Do you know how many people were trapped in that nightmare?" She asked as she leaned down to take a sip of water.

"Four hundred and twenty three. Only one hundred and nineteen people made it out." I finished and she gave me a sad smile.

"We lost so much. Almost an entire quarter of our population was killed off. Do you know what that has done? Most of the victims were young males with only fifteen percent of them female. This leaves a sudden and unexpected gap in this generation's cycle." She explained and tapped the wall next to her in frustration.

"What does this have to do with me?" I asked although I could barely contain my curiosity.

"Everything and maybe nothing. Depending on your answer. I am offering you a job." She finished as she stood up straighter.

"Really? And what would this job be?" I asked crossing my arms.

"It requires you to be completely secretive and most importantly silent. This cannot be put into the public. Hell mostly everyone here thinks I'm just a stay at home mom. I need your word that you will be quiet about this proposal and if accepted your new job." Pepper stated seriously.

"I will be completely professional and maintain my silence about the proposal and if taken, new job role." I stated calmly.

"Okay. The job role is Consort." She stated grimly.

"Consort? I've never heard about that before. What does it even mean?" I questioned.

"It means you will be a companion." Pepper stated plainly.

"A companion? Meaning what? A friend to somebody." I asked and chuckled only to stop as I looked at Pepper's serious face.

"Sometimes. Some just need a friendly face or some polite words. Other's need more." Suddenly the situation dawned on me.

"You want me to be a whore?" I asked disbelievingly.

"I think Consort is more polite. But listen, your clients won't be men. Almost every man in the vault is married, and those that are not are in meaningful relationships inspired by yours truly. After the Nexus incident we faced a question that we had never been faced with before. What are we going to do with the excess females? The question had always been how we are going to get more females?" I raised my hand and Pepper nodded.

"How is this a problem?" I asked.

"The problem is that women like sex just as much as men. Keep that to yourself or we will delete you." She threatened and I nodded quickly and after waiting a few seconds she continued.

"Already we have had families almost torn apart by infidelity, but so far we've been able to contain the fallout. A lifetime in a box with the same person is hardly appealing when there is some fresh young filly who just turned 18 next door with limited options. We need to get this under control or the entire population will be rife with chaos and you know how chaos unfolds. Don't you Ab-" Without thinking I wrapped my hand around her neck and shoved her against the wall hard.

"Don't you call me that! I left that name behind when the rescuers finally opened that pit. How the hell do you know that name anyway?" I saw that she was close to blacking out so I removed my hand and backed away as she gasped and coughed as air rushed into her lungs but her reaction shocked me.

"I'm-sorry." Pepper rubbed her throat a few times and coughed.

"No…I lost control. But how did you know?" I asked quietly trying to get my rage under control.

"It wasn't hard. I compiled reports and crosschecked confessions and at first I missed it. So much chaos and confusion but one thing that always stood out was that name. It only started cropping up at the end of the Nexus incident but eventually I pieced together what had happened. Who you really were in Nexus. Only I know. Which is one of the reasons you are the only candidate able to fill this role." Pepper said as she pulled a scarf from her pocket and wrapped it around her neck to cover the bruises already starting to form.

"What do you mean?"

"This position requires you to be compassionate about the suffering of others. I believe this trait is one of the reasons why you survived Nexus. It allowed you to comprehend your situation and how others might be affected by the incident. This shows that you are able to understand and be sympathetic to others plights and help you deal with the overload of emotions that will be transferred onto you from your patients. I need someone understanding and willing to listen not just for one but to all. Another trait I needed was someone who was young enough and physically fit enough for the other aspect of this job."

"Sex?" I gulped nervously.

"Yes. Some women are not looking for just emotional comfort but also physical. I need someone that can handle the physical demands of not just one woman but maybe the demands of up to five to ten in one day." She stated simply although I could see her cheeks turn an interesting shade of pink.

"How the hell would you know if I would be a good fit for that part?" I asked not being able to help the rush of blood to my cheeks.

"When I first picked you out I had a few people in my department install cameras into your apartment, specifically your room." With this revelation I wanted to shout or scream or do something but all I could do was open and close my mouth as she continued.

"You are slightly above average size in the vault but your, ahem, stamina is above average. Some would say extraordinary." The slight shade of pink on her cheeks turned into a full blown blush only matched with my own.

"Thank-you?" I stated as calmly as I could.

"You're welcome. So will you take the job?" She asked finally regaining some composure as the blush faded.

"I don't know." I looked down and leaned against the wall.

"Art, I am offering you a dream job that has only been dreamt about since the first male organism had sex with a female organism. I am offering a free all access pass to all the surviving single women, from what we know, in the world and you say you don't know. Are you straight?!" She yelled the last part and as I looked at her I made a decision.

"Well, when you put it like that. I have no choice but to accept the job."

******Story Break*****

Thus I started my life as The Consort. If anyone asked what I did I would tell them I was in charge of Vault upkeep, a new role designed to check the entire vault for structural integrity. It was a new position and one that required me to crawl around emergency access tunnels or more realistically vents. If anyone visited my workplace my "Co-workers" who all happened to be female, strange coincidence, would say that I was doing an inspection on the opposite side of the vault. All official of course. Almost every single woman knew my true job role and the secret was kept carefully in the dark. Even Amata and her dad didn't know. At first Pepper only sent me women who needed someone to talk to. Some of them were survivors from the Nexus incident. They just needed to bare it all to someone else who had gone through the same thing. Finally after a week I was sent my first client who was seeking a more physical type of comfort. I had read material thoughtfully given to me from Pepper and researched the topic to the best of my knowledge. By the time I first had sex I knew enough to not be a total moron and make a mess of everything. Although once I had a taste I put a busy sign on my office and spent the next few hours putting theory into practice. I won't name names about who I saw in the coming months before I left the vault. Professionalism you see. Pepper had a system of who she sent to me. Anyone who was close to suicide or irrational actions was sent to me first. After that women who needed physical release were sent second. Now for this part only single women were sent. The whole point of being a consort was to keep families together by keeping order in the household therefore protecting order in the Vault. It's not like you can move away from your ex-wife down here while you run around with your new wife.

By the time I left the vault I had gotten to know the single women's population very well. I would have to say that the only people not sent to me were the women not trusted to keep the secret and Amata. I was very strict about that. I had a few reasons. Mainly I was worried about what she would say about my job. I was basically a whore. I had no illusions about that. I had sex with hundreds of woman and knew more about fucking then I did about, well just about anything. And I know a lot of you are thinking how the hell I did I not end up impregnating one of these girls. Thanks to old world technology I was chemically rendered sterile. Not permanently! I wanted children of my own someday but yes I was made sterile with the consumption of one pill in the morning and one at night.

Another reason why was that I wanted her to have her own choices. I wasn't the only single guy left and every day more and more of my clients went off to be with their one true loves. Maybe one or two would come back from the rare breakups but Pepper if anything was good at her job and most stayed with their chosen counterpart. I was just a stop gap, never a permanent solution and I had no qualms. The one part of me that really made the whole thing work was my ability to shut down my emotions. If I was jealous every time another man looked at one of my clients the whole thing would have been a bust and I probably would have been sentenced or probably killed if not out of decency then out of jealousy. My point is that Amata deserved her own chance at happiness and I wanted her first time to be with someone she cared about. I watched as she dated around. She never let anything get pass kissing or holding hands though and the guys always complained about that. I always thought it was romantic. She was waiting for the right person. The one that would sweep her off her feet just like in the old Pre-War Vids and I respected her for that. Then suddenly it all changed.

We all know how it went. My father left the Vault and thus catapulted me into the Capital Wasteland. Ironic since he wanted me to stay for my protection. Fortunately there is a lot of documentary and film about my escape from the vault so, I don't have to go over that. But that leads me to what I said before. I found old surveillance footage from over two hundred years ago showing a construction worker in the middle of a tunnel leaving three screw out and leaving the construction site. The I.D tracker showed that it was an employee named Howard that had left a seemingly unimportant plating of the vault wall only half way screwed in. At first I was angry but I realized that anger would do nothing. Howard was surely long dead and nothing I could do would bring him back so that I could kill him personally. So I focused on escaping.

Man I tell you the first time I stepped into the sunlight I suddenly knew this was where I belonged. This was where humanity belonged. Not hidden underneath tons of dirt and metal but out in the open and looking at the sky. I was brought out of my musings when I heard a gunshot.

******Story Begins*****

I ducked behind the rocks to my left as my heart pounded once more. I was so tired already from running around the vault and trying to avoid the security guards. I gulped in some air and felt myself calm down and began to think. The gunshot wasn't near my location just in my vicinity. I pulled the 10mm pistol from a holster on the security armor I had procured from a dead security guard and climbed over a few rocks. Keeping low I saw my first Wasteland inhabitant standing next to what looked like the beginning of a highway and by a broken down cargo unit. She wasn't big, in fact she looked painfully thin and weak and wore some type of makeshift armor but in her left hand hung a Chinese Pistol. I knew this because my dad kept an old stack of magazines and booklets on the waiting room table. Always an interesting read. She twitched occasionally and she fired another round into a dead animal with pink leathery skin. I carefully walked up behind her as she was cutting into the animal.

"Hey." I called out only to gasp as she turned toward me faster than I expected.

I was too far away to notice when I first saw her but now I could clearly see a pair of severed hands on her waist that looked like they had been gnawed on and her smile showed the broken and ugly teeth.

"Fresh meat!" She squealed.

She raised her pistol but I was faster. I grabbed her gun hand and slammed it into the cargo unit hard enough for her to drop it but she was more experienced than I thought as she raised her kitchen knife and tried to stab me in my stomach. I jumped back and dodged as she tried a few more quick swipes but even I could tell she was sloppy. I took a chance and grabbed her knife arm and span her around so that her back was against my chest. The move caused the blades edge to press against her neck before I yanked her knife hand causing her to slit her own throat. I let the body fall down and calmed myself. I had killed people before and I felt myself pulling back into what I used to be.

"Hey Jude! Heard some shots over there. Caught anything good?"

I looked up just in time to see a male, dressed in a similar fashion to the dead female cannibal at my feet, turn the corner around the cargo unit and stop dead in his tracks.

"What the hell?" He took a step forward toward the bodies of the dead woman named Jude and the mole rat.

During this time I walked across the top of the cargo unit and gently lowered myself behind my next victim.

"Fuck. What the hell do I tell the guys now?" He turned just in time for me to stab the kitchen knife into the side of his neck.

I watched dispassionately as he grabbed the handle and gasp before collapsing. His blood quickly dried up in the dust and on the pavement. I pulled the blade out only for it to snap halfway much to my chagrin so I just dropped it. I quickly searched the two bodies finding some ammo, a stimpack, and of course the Chinese pistol although it was in crappy condition. Afterward I climbed back onto the roof of the cargo container via the rungs on the side of the unit so that I could scout my next location. Unfortunately or fortunately enough the last rung snapped sending me face first into the hot metal and out of the way of .308 slug fired fifty yards away. I immediately rolled off the unit to my original location and fell on the unforgiving ground knocking the wind out of me.

"I got something for ya!" A male voice shouted at and I heard something right next to my head.

"Oh shit!" I grabbed the grenade and tossed it back over the container just in time as it exploded.

My effort was rewarded with fresh screams. I ran around the unit and did a quick look around the corner to see a man grabbing his arm and looking at an inch long metal spike embedded in it. I took the opportunity to shoot him in his head before another .308 round whizzed by my head and forced me into cover. Barely knowing what I was doing I ran around back to where I started and picked up the man's body. It wasn't much cover but it was bigger than the woman. I held him in front of me with much effort before rushing the sniper. I felt several impacts on the body each one almost made me trip and fall but I had reached a cement road block before I was forced to drop the body.

"That was my friend you asshole!" I heard the sniper scream out and I was surprised that he seemed close.

"He was a good meat shield for what it's worth!" I shouted back. I looked around for anything that would give me an edge and realized that I was near the edge of the highway.

"I hate heights." I groaned and threw my body over the guard rail and used the remaining strength to inch my way hanging along the side of the highway.

"Where are you, you little shit!?" I heard the voice coming off to my right where I originally started; taking a chance I pulled myself up as silently as I could and pulled out my pistol.

I snuck around quietly before pressing the barrel of my 10mm to the back of the man's head. He stiffened at the feeling of the warm barrel before relaxing.

"Can I get one last smoke in before you pull the trigger?" He asked as he dropped the rifle.

"Sure. Couldn't hurt." I watched carefully as he pulled a beat up pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and a zippo lighter.

"So what the hell are you guys? I know what you're not." The man sighed and lit his cigarette.

"A vault dweller huh? Never thought I would see one of your kind around. Always some big change when you guys come out of your holes. To answer your question we're raiders. We take what we want, and defend our turf. We are just people kid." He finished his last drag and tossed the rest onto the ground.

"People huh?"

"Listen kid I ain't stupid. I know what I am. I know what I do. I'm a raider."

"You're not going to justify anything you've done?" I felt ice creep into my veins.

"Hell no. I fucked, shot, and killed to get to where I am today. Like my bastard father told me. There ain't no rest for the wicked." I shot him twice in the head and watched his body slump down on the highway.

"At least you died like a man." I picked up the sniper rifle and felt better with a two handed weapon in my possession and looted his corpse for anything he had.

Afterward I jogged the rest of the way toward the edge of the highway. If they had set up camp here they would have more supplies. I was lucky to see two more raiders at the very edge of the highway before they saw me. I lined up the raider with a Flamer on his back and shot nailing him in the chest. Before his buddy could react I fired my last round and shot him in the stomach. It didn't take long to reach him and I used one precious bullet from my 10mm to end his life. After scavenging I found the Flamer had at least a quarter of a tank of fuel, more ammo for my 10mm but nothing for the sniper rifle. I quickly stored my sniper rifle in my pipboy and sat in the shade of a rusty lean-to.

*****Story Break*****

I should have known from that first day outside the Vault that my time here would be one of violence and chaos. Yet I strived for order. I tried my best to do what I thought was right for the good of the Wasteland. Once again I'm sure many would question why I never sought actively for my father. To that I can only say that I was a grown man. I had lived through a nightmare in Nexus. I had been a whore in the vault and to be a little honest I was upset at the fact my father never told me that we originated outside the Vault. Call it what you will but I think it was my way of retaining something childlike. Even if it was a grudge. I soldiered on and helped a lot of people. Eventually though I had to resupply and offload gear. None of the caravans had anything of use to me and the towns around the Wasteland couldn't afford to buy what I was selling. So it was on my fifty-fourth day in the Wasteland that I finally went through a town called Megaton. Perhaps you heard of it? From what I hear now it is the pillar on which the entire Capital Wasteland is built on and also its crown jewel thanks to the wonderful mind of Ms. Moira Brown. That woman…what a woman. I used my body and mind to protect what I could in the Wasteland. She, she protected my soul.

*****Story Begins******

"Hell kid you root out some asshole like Burke, fix our pipes, and disarm our nuke. Take the house." Sheriff Sims stated in disbelief as he handed me the keys to an empty house on the outskirts of town.

"No problem. Just don't ask me to do anything the rest of the day and we're good." I grinned as I took the key and began my walk toward my well-deserved home.

I got to the door and unlocked it before taking a step inside. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust as a Mr. Handy came down the stairs.

"Hello sir! My names is Wadsworth. Welcome to your new home. May I offer you a cool beverage?" Wadsworth asked.

"Uh…sure." Immediately Wadsworth picked up a glass and filled it from a dispenser from his body before handing it to me.

"Holy hell is this ice!?" I looked closer at the glass to see three rapidly melting but unmistakable cubes of ice.

"Yes sir! I am able to collect enough moisture in the air to create three cups of water per day and I am equipped with a cooling unit to make ice. Do you need anything else sir?" The robot butler asked.

"No thank you. Please carry on." Wadsworth floated away and resumed dusting as I drank the first cold beverage since I left the vault.

I sipped on my drink as I flipped through my pipboy and suddenly an armament was in my living room. Dozens of Chinese rifles, melee weapons, shotguns, pistols, and the rare exotic weapon like a powerful laser pistol I picked up during my raid of a raider base in the Bethesda ruins. After taking the time to relocate the weapons around the house and getting a refill from Wadsworth I flipped through my pipboy again and ammo boxes and explosives littered the freshly organized living room. Sighing at my hoarding nature I quickly went through each container, reloaded spent magazines, and placed the ammo in a neat and orderly manner around the house. All in all the entire process took me three hours and the sun had set by the time I took out ol' painless and disassembled it. It was around the time that I was cleaning the barrel that a sudden explosion shook the entire house and probably all the other houses in Megaton. I grabbed The Terrible Shotgun and my 10mm before rushing outside. The fire wasn't big but it was bright enough to illuminate the top of a shop it was bursting out of. As I got closer I saw most of the people in Megaton pouring or throwing buckets of water at the flames.

"MOIRA! DID ANYONE SEE MOIRA COME OUT OF THERE?!" Sheriff Sims shouted as he grabbed another bucket of water and poured it on the closest flames.

I heard mutterings but nothing definitive and everyone's face turned grim.

"Ah fuck it! Take care of these for me kid!" I tossed my weapons over to Sheriff Sims boy not wanting any rounds to cook off from the heat.

I grabbed a nearby bucket and doused myself before kicking the front door open and rushing in. Immediately the heat and smoke rushed into my lungs but I managed to keep my bearings. I searched the bottom floor and found nothing. I ran upstairs and came to a stop. Above a prone female stood a man holding a red hot metal beam up. He should have burnt up but as he looked down I could see the metal and circuitry under his skin.

"Help Moira!" He grunted as he fell to one knee. Already his skin had burn through and the metal under his hands began melting.

I rushed over and grabbed the woman name Moira and tossed her onto my shoulder.

"You protect her now." The cyborg shouted as he rose to his feet revealing a window right behind him.

"I got her!" I ran pass and jumped out of the window and as we fell I turned so I would cushion the fall for her.

I landed like a sack of shit and I felt one or more of my ribs crack. I looked over just as the building collapsed on itself and the rest of the town finally douse the remaining fires.

"Holy shit man! I can't believe you made it out of there!" Billy Creel came over along with the Doc and pulled Moira off me.

"Check her out. Make sure she's fine." I coughed as I sat up and gratefully took in the cool night air.

"I know my business boy." The Doc checked her body for any burns and after finding none checked her vitals to make sure everything was working fine.

"Here man take some water. It takes balls to do what you did. Hell I thought she was a goner for sure." Billy said as I gratefully grabbed hold of the bucket and drank what I swore was half of it before dousing myself again.

"Billy if you're done sucking his dick can you help me out with Ms. Brown?!" Doc yelled over angrily.

"Duty calls buddy. Like I said before good job." He gave a salute and I watched as he and Doc rolled out a sheet tied to two poles and carefully placed Moira in the middle.

It wasn't long before I was the only one staring at the burnt structure.

"What the fuck did I get myself into?" I shook my head once and headed back to my house.

I took off my clothes not caring where they fell before walking up the stairs and crashing face first on my bunk and I passed out for what seemed like eternity.

******Next Morning*****

I woke up as the alarm on my pipboy rang out a jolly tune. I slammed the snooze button and covered my eyes with my arm. Suddenly the smell of steak wafted to my nose and I felt my belly rumble in protest at my lack of attention toward it. With a groan I sat up and grabbed a spare vault suit I had left out before the fire and put it on. I opened the door to see Wadsworth floating in what I could only assume was an anxious manner.

"I'm terribly sorry sir. But she insisted on coming in." If a robot could sweat Wadsworth would be short circuited.

"Who insisted?" I asked tensely as I reached behind my door frame and pulled out a sawed off shotgun.

"Ms. Brown sir. She said she had to meet the man that rescued her. She took the liberty of making breakfast." Wadsworth stated worriedly.

"It's-fine. Just do something. I'll take care of it." I sighed loudly.

"Understood sir. Have a pleasant morning." Wadsworth floated away and began reorganizing my medical supplies.

I walked down the stairs and placed the sawed off onto a nearby book shelf before turning around to face Moira and immediately whatever I thought I would say was shot out of my head. She wore a RobCo jumpsuit but had the top portion tied around her waist leaving her upper body in nothing but a very thin tang top which strained to keep her breasts in check. The muscles along her back and arms flexed as she did a quick jerking motion sending the Salisbury steak flipping through the air before landing once more onto the hot pan. Her red hair was tied in a loose bun and she blew a stray lock of hair out of her face as she focused on cooking. Her skin was a rare shade of white almost porcelain and I couldn't help but think the freckles on her cheeks were cute as hell. If her body didn't blow me away then her eyes certainly did. They were a shade of blue that could only be compared to the prewar ocean and they focused entirely on the task at hand. I had seen many women, and I had been with many woman but no one could compare to the beauty that stood before me now. For the first time in my life it wasn't duty that filled me but lust. I wanted this woman. I needed her. How the hell do I-

"Hey mister. If you are going to keep staring I'll have to charge you." She said in an aloof tone as she shyly untied the arms of the RobCo jumpsuit and covered herself up again.

"Sorry. What?" I shook my head and blinked a couple of times trying to get the images of her out of my head.

"I said if you don't keep your eyes in your head they might fall out now go on and sit down and I'll bring breakfast over." She turned away and I heard her zip up the jumpsuit before grabbing two plates.

I numbly walked over and sat at a table where I was cleaning my Ol' Painless.

"Where's my rifle?" I asked suddenly shocked that it was missing.

"Don't worry. I cleaned it, and even took the liberty of repairing a few of the shoddier pieces. I left it in the storage locker on the wall. Now will you please sit down my arms are getting tired." Moira hip checked me and I fell awkwardly into my seat.

She laid the plate down before sitting across from me with her own plate full of food. The food smelt amazing and tasted better. Still I managed to maintain my composure as I ate the steak and preserved fruit.

"So what's your name?" Moira asked and I looked up from my food and saw an amused look on her face.

"People call me many things. Some of them not so pleasant but lately people have started calling me The Lone Wanderer and the name stuck. My real name is Art. Art Tack." I laughed slightly as I observed the awed expression on her face.

"You are "THE LONE WANDERER"!?" Suddenly she was a tornado of questions and words and I laughed as she grew more and more frantic.

"Hey, calm down." I lightly placed my hand on hers and she instantly froze with a weird look on her face, noticing this I took my hand off hers and resumed eating.

"Sorry. I get excited when I meet someone from the outside. But let's not get ahead of why I originally came here. I wanted to say thank you for saving me last night. I had an experiment cooking and I fell asleep at my table. Mentats can only keep you awake for so long you know?" She looked down bashful and I stopped eating.

"It's alright. I understand. I'm glad I was able to rescue you but it wasn't only me. Your cyborg gave me enough time to get to you and get through the window. He was a good person." I stated softly and I watched as she stiffened up.

"You're not going to tell anyone are you? There are dangerous people out there that would love to find people like me. People who help other beings even if they started out as machines." Moira said softly.

"I won't tell. Your secret is safe with me. Thank you for the meal but what are you planning to do now? Your shop is a mess and anything that was worth something was burnt up in the flames." I pushed my plate to the side and watched as she deflated.

"Yeah I've been thinking about that too. Without the help of Cyrus, and all the money and trading goods I've collected I'm pretty much capless and homeless. I guess I'll try to attach myself to a caravan and offer my services. I'm good with science and stuff." She thought out loud and I visibly flinched.

"Give me your hands." I said as I placed both my hands palms up on the table.

"What?" She asked raising her eyebrow as she subconsciously pulled her hands closer to her.

"Just give me your hands." I raised my hands once and dropped them back down and hesitantly she placed her hands in mine.

I gently traced her palms with my fingers before working my way up to her fingertips.

"Just as I thought." I stated out loud.

"What!? What is it!?" She asked almost scared.

"These hands of yours are not meant for the rough travels of the road." I stated simply.

"Not you too. Sims keeps saying I shouldn't be outside the walls but I'm a big girl now and I can take care of myself!" She shouted and her hands curled into fist in mine and I laughed as I saw the fire light up behind her eyes.

"We can see that. I assure you but even you know where you really belong. Making all of us look like dumb asses as you come up with a new invention that will bring us back to what we once were. No. People like you will make us better than what we were." I said firm in my belief.

"Even if that's true I have nothing left. Everything went into ashes when the Craterside Supply burned down. My only course of action would be to follow a caravan before I raise up the funds again to make my own shop." She sighed and pulled her hands away from mine and I was only slightly surprised to actually feel something move in my chest.

"What if you didn't have to join a caravan? What if you set up shop here?" I mumbled slightly shy all of sudden.

"Are you kidding me?" A look of disbelief on her face.

"No. I mean I don't intend to stay in Megaton from now on. I still have things to do outside of these walls. Promises I need to keep. You can use some designated supplies and weapons as currency for a startup. You're a smart girl. I'm sure you can make this new shop even better than the last one." I said more confident than how I actually felt.

"Wow. That is so nice of you. Wait what you get out of this? It better not be anything shady or I'll throw a "malfunctioning" fusion battery at you." She threatened.

"No nothing like that. I was thinking along the lines that I get a percentage of the profits and you fix up some equipment for free in return for the lodgings, and startup funds." I quickly answered and was relieved to see her mad scientist face retreat back into a calming smile.

"Oh. Well with a deal like that how could I say no? You got yourself a deal." She reached across the table and I shook her hand.

*****Story Break*****

Those next few days with Moira were a welcome reprieve from the Wasteland. I'm sure without her I would have become a cold and callous prick. There was something about her nature that reminded that I'm human too. That I'm more than just a killer. I thank her every day for that. Eventually though I had to leave. Little did I know that I would embark on one of the craziest adventures in my life. I'm serious. I went crazy in a little place called Point Lookout. Between losing a part of my brain, a Primordial God, evil book, cannibalistic hill billies with cult tendencies, an actual cult worshiping a talking brain who was doing battle with a ghoul centuries after the war was over, and not to mention all the other crazy types of ghouls it took everything I had to make it out of there along with Nadine.

At the very least I got a few new weapons and got to spend some quality time with Nadine. It was a long boat ride and people get lonely. We were really lonely. You know she wanted me to stay with her. To help her with her new business of running punga fruit up and down the coast. I won't lie. Part of me wanted that but the book needed to be taken care of once and for all. Not only that but my heart didn't belong to Nadine even though at the time I wish it did. My heart ached for a red headed mad scientist back in Megaton. So I said my good byes after reuniting her with her mother and we went our separate ways. From what I hear now Nadine married a Brotherhood member and they still run the most extensive trading route of punga fruit available. I'm happy for her.

I made my way to the Dunwich building after that. Along the way I ran into a clan of cannibals dressed in prewar attire and killed them all except for the two kids and a repentant grandfather. As I continued I found the one near perfect looking skyscraper still in existence. Tenpenny towers, a home for the wealthy and privileged. This is where I met a ghoul named Roy Phillips. This is where I made a big mistake, one that would influence an even greater decision in the near distant future. I fought for Roy and his ghoul companions right to live in Tenpenny tower. I made it acceptable for ghouls to be welcomed. In return Roy killed all of them down to the last woman and child. In retaliation I killed him and his crew along with any feral ghouls I came across. I locked the tower up embarrassed of my actions for the first time in my life and continued traveling to the Dunwich building all the while the book laughed at me.

It wasn't laughing when I killed everything in my path and placed it on the obelisk though. I felt the madness tumble inside of me and I laughed this time high pitched and manic even after the book burst into flames and the ashes were blown to the four corners of the Earth.

I don't know how long I stayed in the basement of the Dunwich buidling or how I got back to Megaton without dying. What I do remember is that I opened the door to my house and walked up the stairs to my bed only to see Moira sleeping in it. I felt my heart beat for the first time in what felt like forever and I was mesmerized by how her red hair was spread about on the pillow. The blanket had fallen halfway off revealing a simple bra and a toned stomach. I wanted to slide my fingers along her flawless skin. I wanted to taste her and make love to her. I wanted to feel alive and yet I didn't want to presume too much. So instead of everything I wanted to do I simply grabbed the blanket and covered her body again. She smiled a content smile before pulling the blanket around her tighter. After that I closed the door softly and went downstairs to sleep on a couch I was sure wasn't there before I left.

When I woke up I had a blanket on top of me and the cheerful voice of Moira told me I snore like a Yao Guai. We talked and laughed as we told each other funny things that had happened to us since we had last seen each other. I wasn't surprised to hear that Moira was already making a neat and tidy profit and that her experiments were progressing well. I told her about some of my funny moments in Point Lookout. I even told her about the time I had drunk moonshine and drunkenly dared hillbillies to fight me barehanded. I was once again amazed at how she somehow broke away the negative stuff I had accumulated over my travels. I felt like a metal ingot being freed from its clay prison. I felt harder and stronger but I retained that heat. I was ready to be forged once more.

It may sound cheesy but she made me better than what I was. I showed her some of the things I had gathered on my journey and she took the time to either repair or clean my weapons. All the while we talked about our lives. This led to something amazing and it was called the Wasteland Survival Guide. Over the next couple of weeks I ran across the Wasteland gaining real world experience for the book. When it was done we both proclaimed how useful it would be and started printing out hundreds of copies. We sold them to trading caravans and they in turn spread our knowledge to the rest of the Wasteland. To this day I have grateful Wasteland survivors who shake my hand and tell me they could never have made it without our work. It was during one of these missions though that I came into contact with a radio transmission. It was from a runaway slave named Wernher up north. I marked the position on my map before returning to Moira. I said good bye and made my way to the transmission source. I went into The Pitt that day and I didn't come back for almost five months.

Today The Pitt is a shining metropolis and still the industrial and medical might of the Wasteland. It should be a justification for my actions and the decisions I made in The Pitt but every day I get death threats. I made hard decisions then. I was recruited by the slaves first. Taught their ways and survival techniques. I collected 100 ingots in the yard. I fought trogs and other survivors. Then I was tossed into pit fighting. Throughout all of it I thought I was in the right. That this raider regime had to be put down and freedom restored to the populace. I finally killed enough people to be semi-welcome into the raider forces that oversaw the slave work. That was when I met Ashur. A former member of the Brotherhood of Steel, leader of The Pitt, husband and father.

Ashur showed me the plans for the future he had and the thing that would be the cure for the trog virus. His little girl was the only known being in the world immune to radiation and the trog virus. From her blood his wife could develop a cure that could benefit humanity as a whole. Two sides raged inside of me. One side was telling me to kill Ashur and his wife before taking the kid to Wernher. The other side was reminding me of the victims of Tenpenny Tower and of baby Beth who was subject to her mother's cruelty. The image of baby Beth's limbless body did it and I told Ashur of the planned uprising. To my surprise he was calm and ordered his troops into battle positions. He then told me that in order for the slave rebellion to be put down for good this time I had to kill Wernher. I did as I was told and at the end of it was given a formal position in Ashur's army and access to the machines that created ammo. I took my prizes and left that hellhole. I would be back on and off throughout the years. Eventually the trog virus was cured and Ashur finally fulfilled his promise and made the slaves free people. Surprisingly most people chose to stay in The Pitt and many are quite happy.

After I left The Pitt though I was a broken man. My body held dozens of new scars and burns but emotionally and mentally I couldn't cope with what I had done. I had no way of knowing how my decisions would affect The Pitt and the only thing I wanted to do was go back to Megaton. To hold Moira in my arms and tell her how I really felt about her. It was halfway through my journey home that I saw an unusual rock cropping and a wooden bridge spanning a gap to the only entrance. Spurred on by my curiosity I crossed the wooden bridge and was shocked to find a small radio tower and a house.

*****Story Begins*****

I knocked on the door once and almost immediately felt something press against my manhood. As I looked down I saw the barrel of a shotgun much to close for comfort.

"Who are you and what do you want?" An old woman's voice startled me.

"Sorry ma'am. I was just curious about this place. Didn't know anyone lived in it." I answered quickly.

"Yeah well someone does live here and that's me. Now get out of here." I felt the barrel move away from my crotch and I sighed in relief.

"Actually ma'am I was wondering if you had anything to eat. I'd gladly trade you for it. Goods or services." I offered.

"Services?"

"Yes ma'am. I'll fix anything you want." I said confidently although it waned when I received no reply and was about to leave before she finally answered.

"Wait! Okay. If you fix up that radio tower I'll give you some food." The woman requested.

"I'll get right on it." I walked over to the radio tower and began fiddling around. It took me the rest of the day and part of the night but I finally managed to get the tower working. Suddenly my pipboy beeped and a new radio stationed appeared on my screen.

"Agatha's station?" I asked quizzingly.

"That's my name dearie. Now come on in so I can give you something to eat." Agatha said from the doorframe before she walked into the house and left the door open.

*****Story End*****

As we ate she discussed music with me. I had never learned how to play anything and I thought the entire concept of music would have to be built from the ground up but apparently Agatha's ancestors had been classically trained musicians. The blood of theirs could easily be found in Agatha as her fingers flew across the fretboard of the junk violin she had assembled herself. Of course she asked me to go and find the Soil Stradivarius in Vault 92. How could I not? Music like this had to be preserved. So Agatha gave me the location and I went.

I quickly found Vault 92; however, the Vault doors were open and I found myself killing local wildlife and finding long dead corpses. I found notes detailing what had happened and what had took place in what was supposed to be a safe haven for music for the future. After finally finding the corpses of Hilda and her lover Parker I managed to locate the Soil Stradivarius. It was as beautiful as Agatha told me. Still I sat among the ruins of the vault for a long time and I thought to myself how wasteful. Centuries of tradition, training, and skill was gone all because some assholes wanted to see if they could brainwash the population with white noise. Well it worked.

Finally after mind numbing and pointless thoughts of vengeance I began trying to find a working computer. All their musical inventions couldn't have just disappeared. There had to be back up recordings of all of these musicians work. Finally I found it in the overseer's office labeled junk. Hundreds of holotapes sat in a sturdy locker and even more music files were on his computer. I think I cried knowing something had come out of this. To my surprise I saw the last recorded entry was days after a quarter of the populations became uncontrollable and had killed everyone off. It was a piece by Hilda and Parker titled "Rosemary Song". I sat and repeated the song for hours. The piano and violin danced together in a fiery whirlwind that spoke of the volume of love between them and their creation. I downloaded what I could and stored the holodisks into my pipboy. I made my way out of the Vault killing whatever had been left alive on my way in and travelled back to Agatha's place.

Agatha sat on the wooden bridge as I walked up and stood with shock on her face as I presented to her, her great-great-gandmother's violin. We went inside and I watched her play for hours on the Soil Stradivarius. If I thought her playing was amazing on her junk violin then her playing on the Soil Stradivarius made her godlike. I sat and took the music she played into my soul filling up a place I had never known was empty. After her hands had gotten tired I showed her all the things I had retrieved from Vault 92. The holodisks and the music files that I had downloaded and finally played to her Rosemary's Song. She cried softly as she heard the notes ring out and we both felt the hope and dreams that Parker and Hilda had for their unborn daughter. As the sun rose I left saying one last goodbye and made my way to Megaton where I would confess to Moira how I felt about her. Luckily all I had to contend with was a few Talon Mercs. After killing them and looting their bodies I finally made it back in the middle of the night.

*****Story begin*****

I opened my door to find Moira with her back toward me working on one of my Vault jumpsuits. Already I could see she had given it some extra armor and pockets for ammo and anything I might need to carry.

"If only I could have given this to you before you died. Maybe it would have made a difference." I heard her voice crack and I felt a sharp pain in my chest.

"Hey. Don't give up on me yet." I watched as her back stiffened up before she turned around.

"Oh my God. You're still alive!" She rushed at me and hugged me violently.

"Of course. I'm The Lone Wanderer. Just went wandering a little longer than I thought I would is all." I wrapped my arms around her and enjoyed the feeling of having her close.

She pushed her arms against my chest and looked up at me. Already her tears fell down her face and she weakly slammed her hands into my chest.

"Don't you dare do that to me again or I will atomize you-you asshole!" She tried to laugh but all that came out were sobs as she kept hitting my chest.

I gently placed my hands on each side of her face and kissed her. Nothing fancy just a quick peck on the lips and rested my forehead against hers.

"I won't die. No matter how long it takes I will always come back to you. I promise." I was surprised when her hands clasped onto mine.

"You better or I'll build a time machine and alter the space time continuum dragging your ass back home." We both laughed for a while before it faded into a comfortable silence.

"You can kiss me again if you want." She said softly.

Shyly I leaned forward and kissed her once more softly as if I was afraid this was a dream and I'd wake up in a burnt out car or god forbid back in The Pitt. Still even as I kissed her I felt the pent of need for her urge me onward and I grabbed onto her hips and pulled her closer as she wrapped her arms around my neck and gasped softly against my lips. Like inexperienced first time lovers we tore at each other's clothes tossing them haphazardly around the house as we made our way to the bedroom. Thankfully by the time I was looking down at her in all her amazing, beautiful, and wonderful naked glory I remembered that I wasn't an inexperienced youth pawing at a woman's body.

I began using skills I had picked up as Consort of Vault 101. I lightly nipped at her skin with my teeth and softly kissed along the edge of her collarbone as my hands worked along her body massaging areas where stress had built up. I was careful never to let my attention linger too long on one area and instead continued to spread pleasure along the entire length of her body. I randomly kissed her when the slightest urge came into my mind and whispered sweet little truths I had found cute about her all the while teasing her and carefully pulling her to the point that drove most woman insane with desire. I playfully kissed her lips before trailing kisses down her neck to her breasts where I lightly traced my tongue around each perfect pink nipple before lightly sucking on her sensitive breast as my other hand played with the other. As her skin began heating up and she softly moaned I used my free hand to lightly massage her inner thigh all the way up and barely touched her, eliciting a surprised gasp followed by an eager moan. I smiled against her skin and pulled my hand back mentally thinking not yet.

I slowly kissed my way down her stomach and over her hips until my head was between her legs. I let my hands play with her breast as I gently kissed her legs getting closer and closer to my real goal but stopping just a little short before pulling back. Each time I would start closer and closer until I licked her outer lips.

"Finally." She gasped out as she grabbed the back of my head and forced me to stay where I was although I had no intention of moving.

I moved my hands to her waist and felt what she wanted me to do and how she wanted me to do it. As I moved my tongue and mouth obediently to her demands I took the moment to lick two fingers before gently pressing them into her which earned me a few scratches on the back of my neck and a few passionate moans. I used my fingers and mouth in a coordinated attack and her body let me know what worked. Each time her inner walls clenched down on my fingers I rubbed my fingers a little bit more roughly as I lightly sucked on her clit letting my tongue brush against her in long strokes. It didn't take long for her legs to tighten around my head as she pulled my hair and let out a low moan. I felt her entire being clench up and felt her hips move involuntarily against my mouth as she climaxed. I continued to suck on her clit as my fingers flicked upwards against her G-spot trying to prolong her climax. Eventually her body relaxed and she fell back onto the bed gasping and sweaty. I pulled back and licked my fingers as I watched her run her hands up from her legs along her body and up to her face. I was pleased to see her face flush and her chest moving up and down in time with her heavy deep breaths.

"So, good?" I asked cautiously even though I already knew the answer.

"You bastard! Are you telling me we could have been doing this the whole time?" She whispered hotly as she tried to get her breath back.

"I guess so. I always did imagine kissing the back of your neck as you cooked. Never had the courage to do it." I said absentmindedly.

"You should have done it." She replied roughly in mock anger as her back arched in a way that reminded me that I had needs too.

I leaned over and kissed her roughly with desire which she reciprocated before I pressed myself against her. She gasped breaking the kiss as I entered her slowly. I felt her walls tighten and then relax before I moved deeper. Her nails scrapped against my back as I agonizingly took my time moving in and out slowly teasing her and making her want me even more. Her need feed mine and before I knew it I was thrusting harder and faster as she wrapped her legs around me hips. She moaned my name as I bit into her neck roughly and pulled her hair close to the scalp mixing pain with pleasure as I kept up my pace. I felt her tighten up again and forced myself to move rougher and harder until she reached the peak and continued thrusting with slower but stronger movements adjusting each time as her climax gradually ended. Eventually I stopped and looked into her eyes.

"You didn't?" She asked breathlessly and I shook my head in a negative response as I moved my hips against hers making her gasp.

Wordlessly I moved her legs over my shoulders and began moving again. Her hands scratched at my arms and chest in approval as I continued thrusting into her at this new angle. After ten minutes and two more orgasms from her I felt close to climaxing myself. I pulled out and turned her onto her stomach. She wearily managed to get onto her hands and knees before I roughly entered her. I grabbed her hips and let my need to release guide my actions. As I reached closer and closer to my breaking point I dug my nails deeper into her skin before finally biting the back of her shoulder as I came inside her. My mind flooded with pleasure each time I felt myself pump in my seed. My eyes finally began to focus once more and I found her with her arms splayed to her sides apparently long ago giving up on supporting her. She gasped breathlessly and her hands clutched the sheets in death grips.

"Oh my god. Oh my god. Just…oh my god." She finally uttered amongst the heavy breathing in the room.

I checked my pipboy and found that it had only been an hour and thirty minutes.

"Ready for round two?" I said as I felt myself getting harder inside her again.

"There's a round two?!" She shouted and I just grinned before I moved once more playfully.

******An hour later*****

I gripped her hips roughly as she rode on top of me. I watched as her breast moved up and down turning me on even more as I finally came again with one last upward thrust. She sat up suddenly straight, her mouth in a silent scream as I felt her walls squeeze harder and harder on me. After thirty seconds her body loosened and she fell against my chest panting heavily and softly kissed anywhere she could. I took the moment to appreciate this gorgeous woman laying on top of me before I sat up. She looked at me curiously before groaning in pleasure as I moved slightly.

"Round three?"

*****Forty minutes and twenty three seconds later*****

I held one leg against my chest as she laid on her side. Each thrust I did sent pleasure rippling throughout both of our bodies as both of our climaxes hit us at the same time.

"You planned that." She tiredly accused me.

"Yeah I did." I admitted as I wiped sweat from my face.

"How?" She asked trying to calm herself down.

"I'm getting to know your body more. I can feel the patterns now." I mentioned as I felt myself ready for another go and she felt it too if her widening eyes were anything to go by.

"No." She said as I experimentally moved.

"Really?" I asked as I slowly pulled out and then quickly moved back in.

"I'm too sensitive." She gasped out as I did another slow pull out before suddenly entering her again.

"Okay I'll stop." I stopped still inside her.

"Don't you dare." She growled out.

"Round four."

*****Hour and fifteen minutes later******

I thrust upward into her as she moved her hips down. She grabbed my head and slammed it into the wall behind me as we kept up our movements. I tightened my grip on her waist careful not to drop her. She bit my neck roughly as her body moved in desperate rhythm with mine. I growled before pulling her hair and roughly kissed her as I came again in time with her. I almost fell to my knees but I kept standing. I guided us over to the bed before letting both of us fall onto the soft mattress. We both tried to catch our breath and randomly kissed each other. We stunk of sweat and sex and we couldn't have been happier. Suddenly she sat up and leaned over before taking me into her mouth.

"Round five?"

*****Hour later*****

I held her body close as I came once more inside her.

"mmaodojwlsooej." She mumbled.

"What?" I asked panting.

"What was I saying?" She asked as she pressed a hand against her forehead.

"Nothing you were just mumbling." I answered as I finally pulled out for the last time and laid on my back next to her.

"Oh. I thought I said something." She said as she turned on her side and possessively tossed an arm and a leg over me.

"Nah. Well you did just sing praises about me." I laughed as she hit me softly and I wrapped an arm around her to pull her closer much to her delight.

"That was something else." She said as she kissed the bottom of my chin.

"Something else indeed." I kissed the top of her head.

"What the hell?" I felt a slender hand grab me and I tensed up.

"You're still hard?" She asked in disbelief.

"Yeah." I answered suddenly uncomfortable.

"Well too bad I'm worn out." She said with regret as she let me go.

"It's fine. That was more than enough. I couldn't ask for a better partner. You are amazing." I reassured her as I intertwined my hand with hers.

"As were you. You bastard. We could have been doing this sooner." She hit me lightly and I laughed again.

"Yeah. You said that already." I squeezed her hand.

"I did?" She asked before she yawned.

"Yeah you did." I said as I heard her softly snore.

"This always happens." I smiled as I looked at her sleeping face.

"I love you Moira." I said softly before closing my eyes.

*****Story ends*****

For the first time I felt the emotion behind the act of sex. Sure in the Vault I had a few crushes and what not and my work made me jaded to the concept of sex. But, being there with her I was finally able to see all the aspects of sex instead of just the biological need. We stayed in the house for the next three days enjoying each other's company and making love. We were discovering each other and we liked what we saw. She never questioned my scars and never prodded into my past but each day that passed I felt the need to bare my soul to her. Still I was afraid of how she would react and perhaps it was for the best at that time that my adventurous side started to come back. I remembered that I had obligations outside Megaton and as much as I wanted to stay with her I had to go back into the Wastes. She saw it too but she swallowed her tears and her doubts and said good bye to me at the gates of the town. I left wearing the armored vault suit she had prepared for me. I traveled once more throughout the Wasteland and helped save a few towns. In fact it was right after I helped Big Town with its mutant problem that the event happned. I'm sure if I told anybody this when it first happen they would finally think I had cracked. Now though as we all look at this new technology around us and know where it came from I confidently claim that I was abducted by fucking aliens.

*****Story begins*****

"I'm going back down to my home. Back to Moira. And I'll kill anyone who stands in my way." I shouted as I slammed a fist into a super mutant master breaking his skull in two pieces.

The aliens had done something to me. I was stronger, and faster now. Nothing super human but strong enough to go toe to toe with a super mutant for a minute or two in pound for pound strength. What made me really deadly was that I was able to comprehend things I never could before and think faster. It was all thanks to them slicing and dicing me up. I roared once more as my rag tag group followed me, a cowboy, a genuine samurai, a slaver, an anchorage soldier and a little girl, raced up the ships teleportation network.

*****Story Ends*****

We finally managed to take control of the ship and blast another alien ship to pieces. After tending to our wounds and double checking that nothing on the bridge could kill us we finally went to work cracking the language and password locks on the computer. The star date said that I had been gone for five long years. I looked at the world and wondered if she had waited for me. I hoped. Sally found a means back to Earth and needless to say three of us wanted to leave. I said goodbye to Sally and Emmit and promised to return when I could. I stepped onto the teleport pad and in a second I was back on Earth in the ruins of a prewar house. With my extremely advanced weaponry I killed anything that even looked at me funny. My goal was to reach Megaton and anything that stood in my way would die. Mothership Zeta, The Pitt, and Point Lookout could never prepare me for what I was getting into next and it all started with something extremely weird.

I had to be only twenty miles away from Megaton when I saw a young boy, that couldn't even have been older than six, stand on top of a rock as he shot sharp metal gears from a homemade slingshot at dozens of ants that swarmed at the base. I watched impressed as I saw him actually managed to kill one. Finally one of the ants managed to climb up the back side of the rock and the boy, unaware, cried out as the pincers bit into his leg. Suddenly I was on the move. I ran over and began killing the ants with my Alien Atomizer. I managed to save the boy and after a quick conversation he allowed me to bandage up his leg. It turns out the kid was from Megaton and had come all this way out to have an adventure. I laughed at that before offering to give him a piggy back ride back home. Our calm walk didn't stay that way long. I saw dust on the horizon and I knew there was only one thing that could do that. I pulled out a sniper rifle and saw what looked to be a hundred men in black combat armor with a white talon on their chest.

******Story Begins******

"What are we going to do?" Joel asked over my shoulder fear in his voice.

"Can you get to the town from here?" I asked as I backed up.

"I think so." He replied as I knelt down to let him off.

"Well lookie what we got here boys. When we had word that you'd finally made it back I couldn't believe it. I thought you had finally fucked off and died in some small corner of the world." The apparent leader was a tall man and built like a bear.

"Well isn't it a pleasure to see you Jabsco. What's the bounty at now?" I yelled back.

"A hundred thousand caps! Here's the kicker, double dead!" He laughed and his men laughed with him too.

"Double dead huh? That's new." I took a chance and looked back to see a glimpse of Joel moving quickly toward Megaton.

It was still a long way's off but I could hold off the Talon Company until he reached the wall. Whether I would survive the attempt was something else entirely.

"Finally ready accept your fate?" Jabsco said as he and his hundred men trained their weapons at me.

"Just losing some unnecessary weight. Don't want anything slowing me down when I kill you all." I settled myself behind a rock and brought out some frag mines.

"Boss, a thought occurs, we got this guy outgunned and outmanned and yet he doesn't look fazed at all." One of the younger lieutenant's stated.

"He's one man. Find your balls and let's finally kill this fucker." Jabsco retorted.

******Behind the Wall******

Joel wasn't in the best condition and because of the ant bite he ran slower. It didn't take long for the sounds of gun fire and the hiss of laser beams to fill the air. He looked back and saw his savior standing against a sea of enemies and knew that the stranger was going to die. It saddened him and he felt guilt fill his body. Still he had to get back. If his mother had taught him anything it was to come back home alive no matter what it takes. So he willed his legs to run faster despite the fact that all he wanted to do was turn around and fight. Joel reached Megaton faster than he thought.

"Open the gate!" He screamed as he pounded against the metal doors.

"Holy shit Joel! You're still alive!" Stockholm hit a button and the metal gate creaked open and Joel ran inside without further prompting.

Sheriff Sims ran up the hill with his ancient Chinese Rifle in his hands as he looked around for the reason the door opened without authorization. His eyes finally rested on the almost five year old boy who was beaten and had blood running down his leg.

"Sheriff Sims you have to get the defenses up! Talon Mercs, a whole company are coming our way!" Joel screamed out.

"Are you sure?!" Sims asked urgently and Joel only nodded in affirmation.

"I can see them in the distance Sims! He ain't lying!" Stockholm shouted from his position on the wall.

Sims took a deep breath to absorb the information before walking over to entrance and pulling down a red handle with the label emergency painted above it. Immediately a siren went through the town and caused almost everyone to rush to the armory to be suited up and decked out.

"JOEL!" A woman with red long hair ran to her son and picked him up grateful that he was still alive.

"Mom!" Joel hugged her back with equal enthusiasm before she set him down and gave him her most angry and disapproving glare.

"What were you thinking?! Running away and going off by yourself! You know how dangerous it can be. Do you know how worried I was? And you're hurt!" She asked on the verge of tears.

"I'm sorry mom. I just wanted to find dad." Joel looked down ashamed.

"Your father will find you. He'll find us. We just have to wait." She tried to console her child only for him to stamp his foot.

"I'm tired of waiting!" Joel screamed.

"Look alive people we got a large group of Talon Merc's only half a mile out. Looks like someone's fighting them already." Stockholm yelled out.

"Can you tell who it is?!" Moira shouted up.

"No. Too much dust and distance. Although it seems like he's killed a lot." Stockholm said as he continued to watch the battle through the safety of his scope.

"I think-" Whatever Stockholm was about to say was cut out by the towns militia stomping up the hill.

Each one carried a weapon from the armory which has only grown bigger due to Moira's contributions and funding. One of the women handed Moira a rare plasma rifle.

"Son get to the house and do what we planned okay?" She looked at him sternly.

"I can fight!" Joel protested and Moira's gaze turned softer.

"I know you can. But, if I don't make it someone needs to be here for when your father gets back home. Besides who's going to watch Dogmeat?" Moira gave her best smile and pushed her son toward home just as a barrage of bullets hit the outer gates.

She watched as Joel suddenly stop mid run and looked in the area of the gate before running back toward the house. Remembering her duty she ran up the stairs to the top of the wall and gasped like the rest of the townsfolk at the scene below her. Dozens of bodies laid broken or torn apart. Some had bullet wounds and others burns from laser rifle. Some were just blown apart. Still one man stood alone against ten remaining Talon Mercs as they surrounded his position.

"It's…The Lone Wanderer…" Stockholm said and each person had a moment of disbelief and Moira's heart and stomach did backflips.

"Hit the Gate button!" Moira yelled as she watched the battle.

"I can't!" Stockholm yelled.

"You do it or I'll blow your fucking head off!" Moira shouted raising her rifle at Stockholm.

"We can't." Sheriff Sims said as he stepped in front of Moira's rifle.

Suddenly a sharp laugh pierced the air and everyone focused once more as The Lone Wanderer stood up. His armor was shredded in dozens of places and blood flowed down his body. In his hand he carried a rock and even though the Talon Mercs had armor and guns and more importantly plenty of ammo it was they who stood unsure and the Wanderer who stood confidently.

"We can shoot them now." Moira said urgently.

"It's too risky. We'll kill him if we miss." Sims said regretfully and Moira had to agree. Most of the militia were competent shots but fifty yards was fifty yards no matter how you stretched it.

The whole world seemed to slow down and quiet as the standoff moved from seconds into minutes. Before anyone could blink the Lone Wanderer closed the distance between one of the Merc's and bashed his skull in with the rock in his hands. Using the body as a shield he held the corpse in front of him before closing the distance on another Merc. With speed quicker than anyone had seen the Wanderer threw the body at two of the Mercs successfully knocking them down and dodged and weaved between the last seven Merc's. They watched mesmerized as he moved knocking barrels, both laser and rifle, to the side before bringing a rock to their head or throat or anything he could hit. All the while bullets flew in a whirlwind. Some hit comrades while some hit the ground adding more dust to the conflict. By the time dust had settled down there stood a circle of dead bodies but no sign of The Lone Wanderer. Suddenly a constant rapping on the metal gates made everyone jump. Not missing this opportunity Moira hit the button responsible for opening the gates before rushing to the stairs. By the time she got downstairs the man she loved was standing in the opening of the gate and she crashed into him not minding the blood and ashes that layered his body.

"I'm home."

*****Story Ends*****

So I had a son. A son. The boy I rescued, Joel. How could I not see it? Still as Moira led me to our house and I saw Joel I knew he was mine. How could I explain what I felt at the moment? I wasn't afraid of my duty as a father but ashamed I had unintentionally abandoned my son like my father did before me. And that's when I thought about my father for the first time since I left the Vault. He had a grandson. He needed to know. But at the moment I put aside the new desire to find my dad. I sat at the table looking at my son as Moira introduced me formally as Joel's father. He had questions as I expected. What had happened to me? Where did I go? Why did I leave? And I answered as best as I could and censored the bloodier details of my journey. We talked for a long time and eventually Joel fell asleep with his head on the table. Moira and I smiled at each other as I picked him up and carried him up the stairs to his small bedroom. I tucked him in and closed the door only to find Moira standing there with a bucket and a rag. She smiled ruthlessly as she scrubbed my skin. I figured it was her way of getting revenge for the last few years of my absence. After that and a few hours of love making we laid on the bed panting, and sweating. As we laid there I told her everything. The Nexus, being a Consort, Point Lookout, The Pitt, and Mothership Zeta. I told her of the decisions I made around the Wasteland and how I felt being stuck out there in all that pain. After I had finally emptied everything out we stayed silent for a long time. In the end though she hugged me, kissed my lips, and told me she loved me. I cried then. Not for all the things I had done, or the people I killed, but for the fact that despite it all this wondrous woman still loved me.

After that I stayed in Megaton for a year and it was also during this time I got a second wife much to the surprising behest of Moira herself. Lucy West was the woman she had in mind. I had helped her out when her family was in trouble a while back and apparently she's carried quite a torch for me since then but only backed off when Moira "explained" the situation between her and myself. Still I guess I can't blame Moira. I had stamina that far exceeded her own and at the very least five hours of sex every night was doing a lot of damage to her body. At least that's what she told me. Secretly I think she was attracted to Lucy and even I couldn't deny that I had a fantasy or two about the blonde. So…I got another wife, Moira got a few breaks throughout the week, and Lucy had a man to call hers. Although I could never feel for Lucy what I felt for Moira, I still loved her and I treated her with more attention to make sure she knew that. Moira took the change in stride and encouraged the behavior as she understood how left out Lucy felt. Inevitably Lucy got pregnant and everyone was ecstatic with the news. The baby was a girl, who we named Ellie, and as I looked into her eyes I realized that I had to find my father. Lucy, Moira, and Joel understood as best as they could about what I felt I had to do. For the first time I asked Colin Moriarty about my father and just like that I was on the trail.

I followed my father's footsteps. Ran into Brotherhood of Steel soldiers, killed hordes of super mutants and one behemoth, met Three-Dog, went to rivet city to visit Dr. Li, cleared out Jefferson memorial, went to Vault 112 and ended that sicko's experiment, and freed my father. He insisted on heading directly to the Purifier but I finally told him about his grandkids which shocked him. He hugged me, some tears were shed and we made a detour trip to Megaton. Some of my best memories are when I introduced him to my wives whom he already knew and finally introduced Joel and Ellie. If I had a choice I would go back in time and relive that week forever. Still life went on and though it was hard I kissed everyone goodbye and escorted my father to Jefferson Memorial. After my father's original team arrived they finally began serious work on the project. Unfortunately we gained the attention of the Enclave.

Fucking assholes took over the project with force. I killed some but their technology and numbers beat me back. I…couldn't save my father. Even torn in grief I knew what I had to do. I gathered the scientist and engineers and cleared a path through the underground network. I salvaged what I could from dead Enclave troops before we finally got to the Citadel. The Brotherhood let us in and gave us shelter. I stayed for a week absorbing their knowledge, technical know-how, and training. I became very adept in power armor. This included the ability to move effectively without the battery running and thus moving in what felt like quicksand. Also in my spare time I worked on Liberty Prime. Thanks to me the power issue was solved and The Brotherhood could start test trials. I knew if we wanted to fight the Enclave we would need every edge we could get. Finally after a week the Scribes found a Vault in the Capital Wasteland that possessed a G.E.C.K.

Needless to say I rushed off. I had revenge on my mind as I entered Little Lamplight and entered the back door into Vault 87. Inside I killed more than a few Centaurs and super mutants. I eventually found Fawkes, the only other intelligent super mutant I had ever met. I gave him his freedom and he helped me get to the G.E.C.K. As we were walking out I was ambushed by Enclave elites. As 10,000 volts shot through my nerves I used the last of my strength to snap the neck of one trooper before the butt of a gun finally knocked me out.

I woke up in Raven Rock. An enclave military complex used to shield this branch of the Enclave from the Great War. President Eden allowed me freedom and he paid for it with betrayal by his right hand man Augustus Autumn. As I fought my way through the Enclave Civil war I came across more than a few civilians and one of Dr. Li's helpers captured at Project Purity. I granted them mercy and led them back to President Eden's lines. It was a shock when I found out that the President was actually just a basic A.I. Still, I continued pushing the Enclave forces loyal to Autumn out of Raven Rock and was surprised to see Fawkes with an honest to god Gatling Laser. Where he got it from I don't know but it saved me from an incoming vertibird.

Fawkes was a good friend. We traveled all the way back to Megaton together and we saved each other's life more than a few times. In all honesty he became like a brother. It's why my kids would grow up to call him Uncle. I'm skipping ahead though.

I was on the cusp of reaching Megaton when my pipboy attained a signal called Vault 101 P.A emergency broadcast. I heard Amata and the desperation in her voice. So I asked Fawkes to wait for me as I entered Vault 101 once more this time as a man hardened by the Wastes and life.

It must have been shocking to see a man covered in Enclave Tesla Armor with a pulsing Disrupter rifle, which I stole from the dead hands of an alien researcher, in hand. I took off my helmet as soon as I entered the vault. My hair had grown untamed and although it wasn't long it looked like I had just woken up on the wrong side of the apocalypse. My face had been abused by the sun and metal and I walked on each bit of ground laying claim to it for myself. I must have looked intimidating as hell. Their problem was simple. One side wanted to enter the Wasteland and the other side wanted to stay in the Vault. I reconciled Amata with her father and Amata became the Overseer. I was then asked to leave. I left. That is all I have to say about that.

Fawkes accompanied me into Megaton and my home where I introduced him to Moira, Lucy, Ellie, and Joel. He was quickly accepted much to his amazement. I spent a whole day with them before having to leave. I asked Fawkes to say with my family. I didn't know where the Enclave would strike next and despite it being 200 years into a post nuclear wasteland word still traveled around and they could go after my family and Fawkes was the only being besides myself that I thought could protect them. With that I left Megaton and joined the Brotherhood of Steel for their offensive. With Liberty Prime we had no trouble taking Enclave forces back and wiped them out. We retook the purifier and scattered the Enclave presence.

It took everything I had to walk into that control room. I didn't know if I would survive or not but, my sense of duty help to push me forward. I thought of my family as I entered the code and the Purifier activated. As the radiation filled me I felt radiation flood into my body and I blacked out.

I woke up two weeks later. I was surprised that I hadn't mutated outrageously or died but I was quickly given the rundown of my condition. I wasn't a ghoul but somehow thanks to a benign mutation caused by one of Moira's quest about radiation my body was capable of absorbing the ungodly amount of radiation that flooded the chamber. I was medically cleared by Brotherhood physicians and asked to complete one last mission to eradicate the last Enclave threat in the Wasteland.

I remembered watching as the Mobile Platform exploded and wiped out the last Enclave foothold left. It was glorious. After making final preparations for a successful unification for the entirety of the Capital Wasteland I finally returned to Megaton.

We all know what's happened since then so there's no need to talk about that. So I guess that's it. My life summed up in a nut shell. I hope it lived up to your expectations and if this somehow becomes a bible to a cult and some asshole wields it saying I wanted this or that and it hurts others kill that guy. Just kill him and get it over with. We are family now. All of us. The Russians from their metro's to the Chinese in their massive underground complexes, to right here at home. Too many people have died for this peace. Don't go letting us fuck it all up again. Now seeing as these are going to be my last words I'll ever say. To my family I want to say good bye. I love you all.

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><p>Well that's it guys my first complete story ever. I can't believe it and I'm sure most of my fans can't believe it either. Like I said in the Authors note above I will be using this as a spring board for a new series. So I hope you all like it. Feel free to review. Thanks for reading.<p> 


	2. Good news

Good News

Hello readers. I take great pleasure in announcing that I have just released the first chapter of a new story that features the character Art Tack. It is a crossover called "Another Chance to Live" and I hope you all will appreciate the first steps of my new story. To a few who have asked I do take requests but it depends on what the request actually is. Alright well that's all.


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